This Gold Medal Winning Olympic Athlete Dropped Out Of Rio To Save Her Horse's Life!

Adelinde Cornelissen is used to winning, especially when she's riding her prize-winning horse, Parzival.

When Adelinde first arrived in Rio this year, everything seemed to be going according to plan. Parzival seemed healthy and happy, and the pair were getting ready to go for gold one more time

And then, the unthinkable happened; Parzival was bitten by a poisonous insect, his head swelling, he also came down with an incredibly high fever. Vets rushed to help, and Adelinde refused to leave his side until she was confident he would recover

Parzival is a fighter, and he recovered in time for his event. Adelinde didn't want to let her country down, so she rode her faithful steed into the arena. She could tell that her beloved Parzi was giving everything he could, but he wasn't all there. So, to protect him, she saluted the judges and dropped out of the competition. Nothing was worth risking Parzival's health. Not even a Gold Medal

Adelinde was emotional, but stuck by her decision; 'my buddy, my friend, deserved better than this' she said when questioned after the event. We think you're awesome, Adelinde! And we know that Parzival does too!